THE National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) Committee members last Thursday held their first meeting of the year to plan a calendar of activities for the observance of Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day 2015, which will be celebrated on April 24.

The meeting was held in the NFMU Boardroom on Charlotte Street, Bourda, and Assistant Engineer 3, Mellsa Layne said that Girls in ICT Day is an initiative by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to create a global environment to empower and encourage young girls to consider careers in ICT.

The idea is to create awareness in ICT, to demonstrate how it can develop in society. About 30% of 70M people in ICT are women, and they hold representative positions at all levels in the ICT sector, especially in decision-making.

In Guyana, there are more girls doing ICT in secondary schools than girls pursuing ICT at university level. Over the past three years, the country has observed and celebrated girls in ICT, she added.

Layne stated that activities that encourage the study of ICT include radio and television programmes and symposiums, open-day activities and technology camps at schools featuring ICT women.

At the meeting yesterday representatives from OLPF, GT&T, Global Technology, E-Government and GNBA were present to discuss matters of interest and activities for the year.

That gathering observed that girls in ICT are unrepresented worldwide, as in Guyana; as such, NFMU will be hosting activities such as essay competitions targeting young girls at both secondary school age and university level to get them interested in taking up careers in ICT. Prizes will be up for grabs.

Present at the meeting was NFMU Managing Director, Mr Valmikki Singh, who chaired the meeting and shared his insights in ironing out plans for the celebration of this year’s Girls in ICT Day.

He said that the technology industry is recruiting and needs more women! ‘Girls in ICT Day’ is their opportunity to show girls what they are missing, and introduce them to ICT as an exciting career option.

However, with the number of schoolgirls opting to study technology-related disciplines on the decline in most countries worldwide, ITU is committed to championing the catalytic role a tech career can play in creating exciting, far-reaching opportunities for women and girls.

To help inspire girls to consider a future in technology, ITU established ‘Girls in ICT Day’ back in 2010, and supports the global organisation of activities every year on the fourth Thursday in April.

Currently in its 4th year, global momentum around Girls in ICT Day continues to grow, with over 100 countries expected to hold events hosted by governments, private sector and NGOs in 2014 worldwide.